Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-12-10
TIE PERCENTAGE or REMOVALS.

Among the presidential postmasters In
Clice on March 4, 1885, the percentage Of re.
movals so shown is 2l.j, and the percentage
OF their voluntary designations during the
period OF two years ana upward Is 49, 3. In
Che fourth-class off 0es 1t is !mpracticabie to
prepare any corresponding statement without
an amount Of labor In the examination of the
registers beyond the limited clerical force In
re department 10 yield from the ordinary
duties. 1t would possess even les0 value, be.
cause had no other principle been operative,
the local circumstances In so macy sucl
,fices that no approximately Just inferenoa
would attach to the dates OF resppointment,
either OF the prior invumbents or new APP
pointees. On March Z, 1856, the entire mum
Der OF tourth-class offices was 1907. The
new establishments since have been $3.50, OF
which ~ were In the fiscal year 1885, 3.4S2 In
1856 and 8,C43 In 1887; and the discontinu-
ance in the corresponding periods were 72l,
100 and 800 respectively, a total Of 1852,
besides q net addition to the presidential class
OF 1C3. In al these Offices the total number
OF appointments has been 81, 252. To ascer-
bdtl VAC VI PONAhldCh1iD - AAaS los
who have remained In eli; &c since prior TO the
change Of administration, subtract the number
OF the changed officers. The number stiil re.
naming would be IS, 49l, or a little above SO
per cent Of the incumbents OF Offices then ex,
listing and not since abolished. rhe sui ject
OF the proper compensation Of postmasters
still presses upon the attention Of the depart
ment, and appears to Justly demand further
consideration by congress. To more than 95
per cent OF the pOstmseters 1884, $50 out Of B.,
494 on the first Of OctobeI) compensation, in
addition 10 money order and special delivery
ter!y CT all box rents collected by them, and
OF graduated commissions upon the postage
on matter mailed, deficient postage collected,
and sales CT waste paper and twine, az their
respective Offices; all adjusted by the auditor
IN settlement Of their accounts. When this
successive quarters exclusive OF fees Oh money
order and special delivery business, the audi
tor reports the Cfice TO the department, and
It Is then assigned to the salaIicd class, and
the salary fixed upon an entirely different ba-
sia, the volume of gross receipts at the Office
arbitrarily rated by the act Of 1853. COmpen-
satlOn of the fourth. class postmaster Is grad
ed JUROR the theory that It should be sufficient
70 rtmuuerate all the expenses OF Eis Office as
well AS his personal service; and hence not
only box rents in every case, but all hostages
CancelCd up TO $50 per quarter, and round
! cr III omission Hnnn the rpglGnp arc oUoTGnN
bin, On the other hand, compensation by ssh
ary naturally implies the reccmpense Of toe
postmasters' personal service only, irrespec
tive Of the eypense OF the business, which
then belongs wholly TO the government. II
this distinction is fairly maintained in the
provision for two classes with q just and ap
preciable perception Of their circumstances
the chief arbitrary determin alton repaired II
Of the line Of division between them; and
even this may rest approximately upon some
natural boundary.
In speaking of fourth-c,ass matter the post
master general says:
The law appears 10 60 upon the theory tbs
advertisements ought not 10 be printed upon
third or iourth.cla-s parcels. | am not able &c
discern any sound objection 10 this privilege,
If the advertisement b so limited as to leave
a sufficient space for the address, for postage
marking and rating, and reforwarding or re.
turn addresses. Such printing adds nothing
Of barden TO the mails, and cannot be though,
to limit their employment otherwise. Mere
probably II increases II. The statutory classi
fcation o. mail matter Is not unsatisr factory,
and can be but little IL AT sli improved. Prob
ably no relaxation Of the guards over second
class matter Is desirable. But the removal OF
the prohibition against reasonable advertising
aud printing on the wrappers OF third anC
| fourth-class matter, 50 that they do not ex